Floating Feet - need ankle weights?

[TheHobster]

I repeat - ankle weights are not needed by a good diver, ever, for any reason whatsoever - period

 

[all4scuba05]

Sometimes your lack of training and/or experience causes problems. Other times it's your equipment.

Look at a cave diver who is diving with his knees bent at a 90 degree angle. That's the way they dive. If I were in the open ocean at 40 feet on a walldive, I don't want my fins up like that. But my feet were like that. Changed my boots and fins and now legs are only slightly bent when relaxed in the water column. I didn't add ankle weights. I was in a wet suit by the way(no air in legs) Now could you explain why going from positively buoyant equipment on feet to negatively buoyant equipment was the wrong solution?

 

[KOMPRESSOR]

Sometimes your lack of training and/or experience causes problems. Other times it's your equipment.

....And with only 25 dives in (what?) so many years, not annually, but in total, could we perhaps focus on the level of experience as the probable cause here? I'm just sooo bored with beginners complaining about their equipment as a source of trim problems, when many of them haven't got a clue of what it's all about.

(Nothing personal here, I'm only quoting you because your line fits my message! )

Training, training, training! -And no darn ankle weights...

 

[sharkattack]

You and some others here continue to talk about trim and floaty feet as if it were the same thing. If you don't have air getting into your feet but your wearing thick socks with buoyant boots and buoyant fins, how could you say training is what would fix it? experience in diving as well as instruction
I went from (positively buoyant) and buoyant boots to different fins and boots that were both negative. Right away no more floaty feet. I only add enough air to remove the squeeze from my upper body. Your solution would not have worked for me.

Well I guess your right. What do I know? Seems you have solved your own problems without ankle weights happy diving

 

[dave4868]

Hi,

I've been diving for a couple of years now, but only have about 25 dives done. Went back into the Sea ( I dive in Ireland ) last weekend and an old problem came back to haunt me, floating feet...

I wear 5mm Northern Diver Boots with ankle zips and Plana Avantiquattro ABS fins. My fins are negatively buoyant in a pool, haven't tested them in the sea. I've large feet though ( Size 14 UK ), so my boots are quite big and pretty buoyant I reckon.

I've thought about getting ankle weights, but I've heard good things about them ( they're great at keeping your feet down ) and bad things ( you don't really need them, just get your buoyancy and trim right! ).

So, any ideas out there? How can I keep my feet on the level, as it were. Are ankle weights the answer? If so, they seem to come in .5kg and 1kg ( per ankle ) options, is there a better option or do I really need to try it first? I don't want my legs getting tired on long dives either, due to the extra weight on my ankles!

Unfortunately there aren't a lot of shops near me, so it's very hard to try them first...

J.

Well, Jason, what conclusions have you reached regarding the varied advice about your floaty feet?

That advice included:

• Many tips on how to change weight distribution, including using ankle weights, to address a possibly real problem of "floaty feet".

versus

• Suggestions that it's not the real problem, just a symptom of a novice's lack of skill and knowledge, and solved by employing the right technique, right skill or right gear, and that using ankle weights is a sign of a lesser-skilled diver, of someone who is not a good diver.

It's unclear what they find so wrong about using ankle weights, isn't it? Maybe it's more about being a "good diver", as defined somewhere.

Floaty feet may occasionally exist despite one's best efforts to shift available weight closer to the balance point. It's true. Nothing to be ashamed about.

Perhaps for you it's a combination of nearly neutral fins, large feet, long or big legs, position of a heavy, short tank and the location of your integrated weight pockets, perhaps with your bcd shoulder straps cinched way up tight. Those factors may tip your head down and feet up.

You'll have to decide for yourself how many of the suggested changes are desirable. You may find some undesirable.

As I said before, ankle weights will handle the problem nicely, with minimal drawbacks.

Another alternative might be adding some buoyancy, such as a neoprene vest. That's a limited solution, however, since you may not want to use it in warmer water and you may not want the additional weight it would require.

At least it would keep you from looking like you weren't a "good diver"!

Dave C

 

[matt_unique]

I repeat - ankle weights are not needed by a good diver, ever, for any reason whatsoever - period

I repeat - this is complete and utter BS - period.

Once again, welcome to the venue of "free advice". Mine is free too...so take it all with a grain of salt and determine for yourself what is accurate and what is not.

--Matt

Edited by me to be polite.

 

[in_cavediver]

I repeat - ankle weights are not needed by a good diver, ever, for any reason whatsoever - period

OK, given the very specific case I have with the new suit and integrated boots. Its not training, its not muscles since it doesn't happen in my old suit. Its not trim because when forcably squeezed (IE, no air in suit), trim is spot on. With normal air, the trim is good but feet tend to floaty and difficult to effectively kick.

Now, explain to the board how anything you have mentioned would solve the air trap problem in the boots of the drysuit? or can you? Only Matt Silvia addressed this. here

The fact is there are many solutions to a problem. I personally rate ankle wieghts as a less ideal option but for some, its their personal best option. Just because they use them doesn't mean they lack skill or muscle tone. It doesn't make them a newbie or not a 'good diver'. It means for them, that was their best option. (and for $10-$15 bucks, its a cost effective one at that)

 

[skinnydogdives]

i think most of you are missing the point he dose not use a dry suit its a semi dry the suit he uses is not available in the US only in Europe. i have the same problem when i wear mine its not an option to swap to less buoyant booties as the water temp here in Ireland reaches a max of 16 c (about 60 F)and at this time of year its a lovely 8 C (48 f) so 5mm are needed. no matter what type of fins you wear your feet are going to be floaty it is something that you just have to put up with when diving in irish waters.

 

[TheHobster]

this proves my point - ankle weights were not the answer - in this case training, experience and most importantly, using gray matter, was the answer - trapped air will cause floaty feet - one has to be aware enough to know what the cause is - to overcome that you do a somersault to get righted, that requires abdominal strength - not alot, but enough to do at least one sit up - diving a DS is a more advanced skill that takes more training and experience than diving a 2mm shorty - as such one should obtain that and make their first DS dives in a benign environment with a buddy that can help them see what they are doing and prescribe the correct course of action - as an instructor, I'd prefer thay take a DS class, but I also understand that a good mentor could provide the same service as well

OK, given the very specific case I have with the new suit and integrated boots. Its not training, its not muscles since it doesn't happen in my old suit. Its not trim because when forcably squeezed (IE, no air in suit), trim is spot on. With normal air, the trim is good but feet tend to floaty and difficult to effectively kick.

Now, explain to the board how anything you have mentioned would solve the air trap problem in the boots of the drysuit? or can you? Only Matt Silvia addressed this. here

The fact is there are many solutions to a problem. I personally rate ankle wieghts as a less ideal option but for some, its their personal best option. Just because they use them doesn't mean they lack skill or muscle tone. It doesn't make them a newbie or not a 'good diver'. It means for them, that was their best option. (and for $10-$15 bucks, its a cost effective one at that)

 

[in_cavediver]

this proves my point - ankle weights were not the answer - in this case training, experience and most importantly, using gray matter, was the answer - trapped air will cause floaty feet - one has to be aware enough to know what the cause is - to overcome that you do a somersault to get righted, that requires abdominal strength - not alot, but enough to do at least one sit up - diving a DS is a more advanced skill that takes more training and experience than diving a 2mm shorty - as such one should obtain that and make their first DS dives in a benign environment with a buddy that can help them see what they are doing and prescribe the correct course of action - as an instructor, I'd prefer thay take a DS class, but I also understand that a good mentor could provide the same service as well

Sorry - just picturing myself doing a somersualt in peacock springs (cave) to handle a bit of trapped air in my boots.

What a joke -

Its an equipment problem. Use/change/modify equipment to solve it!